Chapter 12: Hong Insu’s Apology (1)

The test went smoothly, and the raid progressed well.

By the fifth day, they’d collected enough byproducts. All that remained was destroying the gate stone.

The group followed Kim Young, the detection skill user, toward the gate stone.

“…”

An A-rank Hunter walking ahead stopped, raising a finger to their lips and pointing downward. A monster was underground—stay quiet.

Ion had already noticed earlier.

Shing.

As everyone quietly drew weapons and shields, preparing for battle…

Rumble…

The ground shook like an earthquake, and a massive insect monster emerged, its back splitting open like cracked, dry earth. The veteran A-rank Hunters from Horizon, a major guild, recognized it instantly.

“That’s… a Kellei! An A-rank monster!”

“Why’s an A-rank monster here…?”

“Kelleis travel in packs! Stay sharp!”

No sooner had they spoken than giant insects swarmed from all directions.

Faces hardened.

A pack of Kelleis was manageable with this group—enough A-rank Hunters, plus shield, healing, and buff support. But what if Kelleis weren’t the end?

In a B-rank dungeon, an A-rank monster might occasionally appear by mistake, but a whole pack was rare.

A year after the cataclysm, dungeons and systems were still largely unknown. They were unpredictable, dangerous places. Hunters entered prepared for risks, but only in moments like this did they truly grasp how little humanity knew about dungeons.

For now, defeating the Kelleis was priority.

Ion summoned his sword.

“Kelleis are immune to physical attacks! Use buff-enhanced weapons and aim for the belly!” Lee Jina advised the testers.

Kellei shells weren’t hard but gelatinous, sucking in blades like a swamp. Once stuck, no awakened could pull their weapon free without being dragged in, forcing them to abandon it.

Ion, of course, knew this.

“Hey, kid! I’ll buff your dagger with Electric Dispatch. Go for it!”

“…Thanks.”

Bae Younghoe’s skill enveloped Ion’s dagger. Its power was maybe a hundredth of Ion’s usual flames.

A Kellei opened its maw, its forked tongue lashing out like a snake’s. Ion dodged lightly, calculating.

‘As an average B-rank Hunter… while an A-rank takes down five Kelleis, I should handle one.’

This one Kellei, which he could bisect in ten seconds, he’d have to toy with.

It was, in a way, a tougher fight.

Whoosh!

“Hup!”

Boom!

“Ugh!”

Ion dodged the Kellei’s attacks, lightly slicing its foreleg, then nicking its belly, dragging out time. He threw in occasional grunts—hup, ugh, ha!—for effect.

ROAR!

The Kellei bellowed in frustration. Ion was frustrated too but kept up the light skirmishing.

ROAR!

“Argh!”

Sometimes, he let the Kellei “injure” him, tearing his robe and gashing his arm, only for a white glow to heal it instantly.

“Ion! Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” called Shin Minji, a B-rank healer.

Occasionally, he pretended not to notice a Kellei targeting his back.

“Hmph! This is why I hate working with amateurs…!” Kim Young grumbled, using his aggro skill to cover Ion.

‘Daon really picked some skilled people.’

The battle lasted an hour.

Thud!

Watching the others, Ion timed his Kellei’s defeat with Hong Insu’s. He drove his sword into its belly, extending the blade to slice up to its head.

ROAR!

Zap! Electricity sparked. The Kellei thrashed and collapsed.

Boom!

Ion’s was the last Kellei.

“Man, thought I was gonna die,” Hong Insu said, slumping to the ground.

“Not bad for testers,” an A-rank Hunter remarked.

“Yeah, that Hong Insu’s shadow skill could be real useful with more experience.”

Hearing this, Hong Insu wiped blood from his face and grinned at Ion, as if saying, Hear that? Your hyung’s awesome. Ion gave an awkward laugh.

“Alright, great work, everyone. Take a break!” Lee Jina ordered, but didn’t rest herself.

She checked each Hunter’s injuries, mana, and skill cooldowns, then helped the collection team strip Kellei shells—valuable byproducts used in their military truck.

After harvesting dozens of shells, she called Kim Young to discuss the next route.

“Team Leader!” Shin Minji ran up, activating her healing skill. A white glow swirled around Lee Jina’s side.

“I noticed earlier… that’s not monster blood, is it? It’s yours. You need to tell us if you’re bleeding! What’s a healer for, huh?”

“…Thank you.”

“No problem. It’s my job. Don’t hide it next time, okay?”

Shin Minji bounced back to the testers. Lee Jina’s furrowed brow softened slightly.

Ion watched it all.

‘Even the extras… they weren’t detailed in the novel, but they’re doing their roles perfectly.’

It felt strange.

Hong Insu being lively before his darkening. Extras, barely named in the novel, fulfilling their duties.

A weird feeling.

During the break, another group of A-rank monsters appeared. Only five this time, but back-to-back A-rank encounters heightened unease.

Finally, Lee Jina decided to recheck the dungeon’s rank. A Hunter used a flight item to scout and returned, annoyed.

“It’s easily over 5 meters, Team Leader. Check it out.”

Lee Jina flew up and saw a 7-meter yellow gem lying across the ground.

Back on the ground, she sighed.

“It’s definitely an A-rank dungeon. When we get out, I’m strangling the gate Hunter.”

Current technology couldn’t determine a gate’s rank or terrain before entry.

This led to cases where high-rank Hunters were sent to crowded areas for what turned out to be F-rank dungeons—a waste.

Thus, “gate Hunters” specialized in checking gate stone sizes and terrain.

“Our guild’s gate Hunters were busy, so we hired a mercenary… Anyway, clearing a 7-meter A-rank dungeon needs at least ten A-rank Hunters and thirty total. Let’s end the test and head out.”

“Second test later, then?”

“We’ll discuss outside.”

No one suggested tackling it themselves.

A 6-meter gate stone was B-rank; 7 meters was A-rank. Just a meter’s difference, but A-rank difficulty scaled exponentially.

Everyone pulled out return stones.

Ion, without one, was in a bind.

His only way out was destroying the gate stone and exiting through the gate.

“See you outside.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Lee Jina vanished first, followed by Bae Younghoe.

The A-rank Hunters and testers clicked their tongues and used their stones.

Soon, only Hong Insu and Ion remained.

‘Why’s he still here?’

Ion asked, “Hyung, why aren’t you leaving?”

“Why aren’t you?”

Hong Insu eyed him suspiciously. Ion answered brazenly:

“I’m about to. You go first.”

“…You go.”

“Why? Just go, hyung.”

Could Hong Insu also lack a return stone?

Unlikely, but it was the only reason Ion could think of.

“You…” Hong Insu trembled, then shouted, “You used up all your return stones!”

“…”

“Right? You don’t have any! That’s why you’re stuck!”

Ion rolled his eyes.

“Damn it, you idiot! Hiding that you’re out of return stones? You want to take a test that bad? Lie about something else, not something life-or-death! Are you stupid? You should’ve begged for help!”

Ion said nothing as Hong Insu ruffled his hair, grabbed his waist, and sighed dramatically.

Mid-one-man-show, Hong Insu slumped under a tree.

“If we don’t leave, they’ll come for us. Let’s wait here.”

“What nonsense? Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Two’s better than one for holding out.”

“Why hold out? You have a return stone. No need to risk it.”

“You don’t.”

“What’s that got to do with you?”

“Damn it, you think I’m some heartless bastard? Just sit. Don’t yell and attract monsters.”

Hong Insu closed his eyes and crossed his arms, done talking.

Ion was beyond baffled—stunned.

Why this weird stubbornness?

Dragging Hong Insu along… hiding his strength to clear an A-rank dungeon? Might as well kill him here. No one would know what happened in a dungeon…

‘No, I can’t. Hong Insu’s a key early villain.’

He was far more important than Ion.

“Hey, sit. Don’t waste energy standing. Let’s eat my mom’s lunchbox.”

“…”

“What’re you doing? Sit.”

Ion stared at the “off-script” Hong Insu. Hong Insu, slightly annoyed but trying to stay calm, pulled out a lunchbox.

“You’re not worried? Two B-rank Hunters in an A-rank dungeon? The others might not come back for us.”

If someone’s in a dungeon, the gate closes, blocking entry.

Special skills or costly items could force it open, but both were expensive.

Some ignored stranded Hunters, waiting for them to die so the gate would reopen.

“No need to worry. Other guilds might, but Horizon won’t abandon us. Their leader’s a good guy. They’ll use pricey items to save us.”

“…”

“Worry about getting scolded instead. Lying about having return stones? Who’d hire a lunatic like you? You’re failing this test.”

He was right. But Ion could make it wrong.

Clear the dungeon before the rescue team arrived—simple.

He’d already thought of an excuse.

But… what was this?

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Two’s better than one.”

Risking himself for someone he just met?

Was this Hong Insu’s character?